Video: After Saturday's Practice: Don Granato
Granato kept the trio together for practices on Friday and Saturday while shuffling the rest of the Sabres' forward lines. The Sabres own a 55.24-percent share of shot attempts in 77:51 when Skinner, Thompson, and Tuch have shared the ice at 5-on-5.
Thompson, with a team-high 32 points, is having a career year after a preseason move to center. Skinner paces the Sabres with 16 goals. Tuch has 14 points in as many games with the team.
Their offensive instincts have made for a natural chemistry that is improving with time, Thompson said.
"The main thing I feel is just the support, the puck support," Thompson said. "I feel like we're always around each other. So, those like five-, 10-foot passes, those quick little touch passes, things like that. Just letting the puck do the work instead of trying to skate through the whole team.
"We use each other, and I think that's when we're most dangerous."
Video: After Saturday's Practice: Tage Thompson\
Granato pointed to their goal against the Blue Jackets as an example of that support. Thompson carried the puck into the offensive zone with Tuch by his side. While Tuch drove to the net, Skinner curled from the high slot and received a pass from Thompson. Skinner finished the play by finding Tuch down low.
"They read how to support each other well, they read the next play available well," Granato said. "They were one step ahead of the defenders and they had support, they had three-man support, so they made it look simple and easy. In the end it was beautiful, and it was a hell of a goal."
Video: CBJ@BUF: Tuch buries feed from Skinner down low
The other forward lines were tweaked after Thursday's game in search of similar chemistry. Peyton Krebs, who had been playing center, moved to the left wing alongside former Team Canada linemate Dylan Cozens and Victor Olofsson.
"Obviously, the Thompson line has been our top line," Granato said. "The hope is that Cozens, Krebs and Olofsson have the skill level to slide under the radar there and get second-pairing D and do some effective work there."
Rasmus Asplund moved to the right wing on a line with veterans Cody Eakin and Kyle Okposo. Mark Jankowski, following a few games on the wing, centered Anders Bjork and John Hayden.
Here's how the group has lined up in full ahead of Sunday's game in Montreal:
| February 12 |
| --- |
| LW | C | RW |
| 53 Jeff Skinner | 72 Tage Thompson | 89 Alex Tuch |
| 19 Peyton Krebs | 24 Dylan Cozens | 71 Victor Olofsson |
| 74 Rasmus Asplund | 20 Cody Eakin | 21 Kyle Okposo |
| 96 Anders Bjork | 17 Mark Jankowski | 15 John Hayden |
| | 37 Casey Mittelstadt | |
| LD | RD | G |
| 26 Rasmus Dahlin | 10 Henri Jokiharju | 41 Craig Anderson |
| 8 Robert Hagg | 13 Mark Pysyk | 31 Dustin Tokarski |
| 23 Mattias Samuelsson | 45 Casey Fitzgerald | |
| | 78 Jacob Bryson | |
Casey Mittelstadt practiced without a non-contact jersey for the second straight day, but he will not be in the lineup against the Canadiens.
Mittelstadt, who previously returned from upper-body surgery on Jan. 25, left after the first period in Colorado on Jan. 30. He skated on his own during the All-Star break and returned to practice in a non-contact sweater on Tuesday.
"We'll wait a couple more days, see how he is and how he responds," Granato said.
